Two-day, six-step lead conversion plan from Rachel Adams Lee

You know you need to be more persistent, but following up with cold (or cooling) leads can feel like a waste of time when you aren’t getting any response back.

But what if I told you that a lead expert has come up with a workflow that you can complete in six steps, across two days? And what if I told you that when she runs this follow-up plan, she has converted about 14% of new realtor.com® leads?*

Yeah. I know...

You'd say, "TELL. ME. HOW."

Two-Day, Six-Step Conversion Plan from Rachel Adams Lee

Luckily for you, that lead expert is Rachel Adams Lee, and double-lucky for you, she believes in full transparency when it comes to sharing her tips, scripts and best practices.

Day One, Contact One: Call in under five minutes

Look, I’m not going to bore you with stats on why it's important to call in less than five minutes. We’ve been sharing those stats since what, the moon landing? Many agents still struggle to follow up in that critical time, and it’s not hard to see why — your days are already chaotic enough, without sprinkling in must-call-new leads from various sources.

So, while Rachel recommends calling personally or having a team member or sales assistant call on your behalf, she also has a back-up plan for when that’s not possible: auto-responders.

The good news is that the industry has come a long way from the robotic auto-response texts and emails that were so popular a few years ago (and that landed, with a big dud, in your potential clients’ inboxes).

Today, the Connections Plus lead solution from realtor.com® includes an immediate auto-response so your lead feels taken care of and is less likely to start talking with a competing agent before you can reach out personally. Plus, the auto-responders can be personalized so that it sounds like you (not a robot!) and is relevant to the lead’s inquiry.

Day One, Contact Two: Send a video text

Nothing is more personal than a video, and Rachel suggests sending a quick, off-the-cuff intro video to new leads on day one. She just uses her phone and selfie mode, speaks right into the lens for about 30 seconds and lets people see the face behind the name.

Timing: Not right away!
Of course, you don’t want to send the video text directly after leaving a voicemail, or just two minutes after your auto-response goes through.

Try completing an appointment or errand in between, showing that you are busy and on-the-go, but considerate enough to send an ultra-personalized follow-up.

Day One, Contact Three: Send a customized email

For the last step of day one, send an email that is addressed only to your lead. While this email draft can be used over and over, you want to ensure that it appears personal enough that your lead is likely to reply to it.

Include their first name and mention that you are looking forward to speaking with them. If the lead source provided any other information — such as the address of a home they liked online, or the address they requested a CMA for — be sure to include that in the email as well.

Two additional tips from Rachel:

Place your phone number above your name — it will pop out more — and finish up every email with a link to an evergreen marketing video. See Rachel’s team video here.

Remember, no one reads long emails. Keep it short and sweet and give them a reason to follow back up with you!

Day Two, Contact Four: Call a second time

Start day two off with another phone call to your lead. If you're sent to voicemail, you can either reiterate that you’ve been trying to reach them or re-introduce yourself. Go with whatever feels natural.

Have you ever tried texting an audio file? Think of it as the “new voicemail”. You just may get the response you’re looking for.

Day Two, Contact Five: Send a short text

Ready to create an air of mystery? In this tactic, Rachel prefers to send a text that says, simply:

Her rationale? If they aren’t calling or texting back when you give full context, maybe they just need an opportunity to send back a quick text saying they’re interested so you know to keep pressing them.

Day Two, Contact Six: Text before placing them on a drip

If your lead is still quiet after your first five follow-ups, the odds of converting them in fast fashion are… not great. Still, it’s worth one last try, right?

At this point, Rachel recommends following up one final time via text — without indicating this is the last time she will contact them personally.

If they still don’t respond, she places the lead on her usual long-term drip campaign that includes invites to events Rachel produces, sponsors or participates in. The idea is to not give up trying for a face-to-face meeting, while admitting that it’s important to focus on newer leads that are more likely to convert.

Think you’d give this plan a shot?

This is the plan that Rachel recommends to the agents that she coaches. So what do you think? Could you change up your game and leverage this two-day, six-contact follow-up plan?

When you remember how high Rachel’s lead conversion rates are, it seems worth a try, doesn’t it?

How would you change up Rachel’s tactics to make them more your own? Join our Facebook group, where we keep in touch with top agents and brokers from across the country, to share your insights!

*According to the National Association of Realtors® the typical real estate conversion rate is between 0.4% - 1.2%. This may vary widely based on the individual agent.

About the Author

Kristi Kennelly, former Broadway performer and corporate executive, has been involved in real estate marketing and mortgage technology since 1998 with a focus on effective marketing and sales strategies, communication and how to best leverage technology to get it all done. After spending nine years leading the marketing department for Interthinx, where she helped win Mortgage Technology Magazine’s prestigious 10X and Synergy Awards, Kristi rejoined the realtor.com® team as a national speaker.
For those interested in the Broadway career, Kristi was the youngest performer ever hired for CATS (she performed as “Rumpleteazer” in the Broadway, national and Los Angeles companies) and played opposite Matthew Broderick in How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. Kristi is married with one son and is a year-round Little League fan.